First recorded in 1965–70
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Shirts by Niamh, a business providing custom designs, has more than 100,000 followers on TikTok and charges up to £35 for shirts with glitter, gems, spray paint and feathers.
From BBC ● Jun. 6, 2026
After getting out a few cans of spray paint, something drew him to the manhole cover in the street.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 26, 2025
I mean, everywhere — there’s got to be a spray paint shortage at this point.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2025
He works mainly in acrylics mixed with spray paint and enamels for his paintings and murals.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 13, 2024
She just smiled and leisurely pulled out the spray paint.
From "Paper Towns" by John Green
There’s trees that they climbed … and I let them spray-paint the fences.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 7, 2026
Denim faded into sheers, or was treated with a spray-paint effect.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 20, 2023
Unfortunately, some also spray-paint the rocks, which is more difficult to clear away.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 10, 2023
They also daubed a slogan in spray-paint underneath the frame in the Piccadilly gallery.
From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2022
I looked out the window, saw the two cops searching Shea’s bag with the spray-paint cans, and realized that Shea’s strategy was one of the dumbest ideas I had heard in a long time.
From "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates" by Wes Moore
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
